If you want to usher in a new era at the expense of the old, you better be willing to pay the toll, as Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau discovered in their second rugged victory over Waverley Harvesting Border on Saturday.

The Tasman Tanning Premier points table leaders had to hang on 24-17 after another strong finish by the five-time defending champions at the Country Club, in a scrappy and physical clash that decimated the hosts' much vaunted backline.

Up 17-0 in the 65th minute after some pinpoint chip kicks led to a double to former professional Te Rangatira Waitokia, Kaierau lost him to a leg injury, on top of fullback Adam Boult coming to the sideline with his eye completely shut. Then winger turned utility cover Ezra Malo was sent off inside the last ten minutes for a dangerous tackle on Border try-scorer Alekesio Vakarorogo.

Kaierau did not have many outside back reserves given the expectation that all three aforementioned stars could have covered multiple positions, leading to a couple of forwards having to stand wide against Border’s big roving Fijians.

The visitors came storming back, with fullback Tom Symes finding the eventual gaps through the middle and then on the fringes to score two tries.

In truth, neither team played as clutch in the big moments that they would have liked, Kaierau missing two other first half kick chase tries with in-goal fumbles, while in the space of 60 seconds from the 69th minute both sides gave up tries from intercepts trying to be expansive near their posts – to the centres of Ethan Robinson for Kaierau and Border’s Vakarorogo.

Missed goal and line kicks also blighted both teams, not to mention shaky lineouts and scrum turnovers.

But the passion was there - Kaierau may have been shy of backs but got home on some great tryline defence, holding up Border twice, while the forwards’ line speed to get up and wrap for jarring hits never wavered.

Hooker and try-scorer Joe Edwards gave a committed 80 minute effort, while lock Matt Ashworth was in everything until barking at the reserves who replaced him in the final quarter to lift the tempo.

Josefa Rokotakala, Kohlt Coveny and Tai Pulemagafa did not let Ashworth down with their coverage, while Pulemagafa joined Coveny and starting prop Raymond Salu in driving up Border’s last-play 50m scrum following their third try to bring about the end of the game.

For Border, playing without injured skipper Ngapuke Patea, they did welcome back 55-game Heartland capped midfielder Timoci ‘Jim’ Seruwalu, who, while short of a gallop, was always a handful.

Flanker Ekenasio Fiso was dangerous in the first half, while coming off the bench to make a big impact in their late comeback were reserve front rower Sevanaia Vucinimoce and winger-turned-halfback Peni Waqatabu.

Kaierau coach Danny Tamehana knew that even when winless, Border remain a dangerous proposition.

“They brought it right from the word go; that was something we talked about at halftime.

“I think we got better as the game went on, in terms of hitting these rucks, but other than that, what a game.”

While Waitokia was moving freely at full-time, Boult and Malo’s status will need to be confirmed, as Tamehana considers how to plug multiple holes, with veteran Brook Tremayne potentially being tapped to make his comeback.

“I’ll enjoy tonight, but I’m definitely going to be thinking about that come Monday, it’s going to be a whole different backline, but we’ll see what happens.”

While the backline configuration is a challenge, the forwards were strong even without absent skipper Doug Horrocks, Tamehana praising the reserves for holding back Border’s momentum to the finish.

“It’s something we spoke about during the week; they brought the energy and the impact, so that was really pleasing to see the bench work really well.”

Border co-coach Todd Cowan knows even with 12 new players in the squad this season, the winless streak must end soon.

“I think we’re building ok, maybe not getting scoreboard wins, but we are getting wins out there as far as some improvement every week.

“I think the intensity today was definitely a level up from the week previous against Taihape.

“We’re only losing by 6-7 points. I think we’re there or thereabouts.

“Our average age has dropped into the twenties from about the mid-30s last year.

“A pretty touch encounter, a few guys look like they’re a little bit sore, but I think we’ll be right, get back into things on Wednesday and into the next game.”

Kaierau had early territory, but Border aggression at the breakdown earned them a couple of turnover penalties to clear.

The hosts worked back, with first-five Sheldon Pakinga being away on a couple of penalty attempts, but there was nothing wrong with the pinpoint chip kick from a scrum win which saw Waitokia dash through and then pull up to claim under the posts for 7-0.

The hosts couldn’t add to their score before halftime, as a one-eyed Boult and flanker Stu Brosnahan just couldn’t quite haul in the ball in-goal.

They got the go-ahead points in the 50th minute as the lesser-known member of the backline in winger Adrian Toia stood up, literally, but standing up his marker and making a dash into Border’s 22m.

Ashworth got there quickly for the ruck cleanout, and on the next phase, Malo made a nice cross kick for Waitokia, who covered the bad bounce to still regather and score.

Kaierau’s third crowd-pleasing try saw Waitokia make a short chip and regather inside his 30m, with a long pass then going out to reserve back Seremaia Driu, who made a chip-kick and catch of his own.

From the far corner, Kaierau spread back to the clubrooms side with Coveny feeding Malo, who put Edwards over untouched to score.

But with Boult watching from the bench with an icepack on his face and then Waitokia being assisted off, Kaierau looked a little disjointed and Border drove at the line, being held up multiple times, until from an attacking scrum, Border pulled in Kaierau’s defence and then transferred to the midfield where Symes put on the step and dashed under the posts, with first-five Tyrone Albert converting.

Border tried to chance their arm straight from the kickoff, looking to get back to the wide edge, but Robinson was there to pluck the intercept and sprint under the posts – Kaierau thinking they were surely safe at 24-7.

But those extra points were negated right away, as from the restart, Kaierau also moved the ball, but the pass missed its target, and Vakarorogo was there to snatch it up and run under the posts, Albert surprisingly missing a quick dropkick.

Kaierau could have made the game safe, but backchat when they had just won a penalty saw the decision reversed, and on Border’s next attacking raid, Malo brought Vakarorogo down heavily, and it was judged a red card offence.

Although Kaierau defended their tryline and cleared the ball, Border came back over halfway and soon fired the ball wide, with Symes finding the overlap and charging full tilt to score at the corner flag to cut the gap to seven points.

Kaierau’s restart went out, leading to a Border scrum on halfway and one last chance, but the home team’s front row pushed the visitors up to get the penalty to end the game.

Kaierau 24 (T Waitokia 2, J Edwards, E Robinson tries; S Pakinga 2 con) bt Border 17 (T Symes 2, A Vakarorogo tries; T Albert con) HT: 7-0.
 

By Jared Smith